The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-03-12
AN UNPLEASANT PROPHECY.

AN UNPLEASANT PRoPHEcy
10 far the argument between the con-
tending factions has been tolerably good
natured, hut there are indications oh
servabie of growing rancorousness.
Tins may not be Improbable 10 the out
SIDE world, as either party may tell some
truths about the other that would under
different circumstances be left unpub-
lish@l. And, as the rivalry il leading
both sides Ia make use of high tints in
depicting the gorgeous ioys of life i'm
their respective parts of California, il
would not 10" unaaVisable for persons who
may feel themselves tempted to Weld To
the attractiy.ness of such delineaiions Ia
also pay a little heed to the sectional
criticisms. such a course may save a
deal of disappointment. Without con
testing the theory that California il - the
garden of the universe" il is worthy of
remembrance that gardens are sometimes
costly mNuries. The stockton Nal. a
paper that has wa of splitting out un-
pleasant truths IN very plain language,
prophecies that " not a few of the imfni-
grants coming into our State to-day in
response to lying advertisements. put
forth 10y those who have land Ia sell, will
develop into tramps before the year ~
out. And the Mai is undoubtedly
right. III" luxury Of living in the +" gar
too expensive f>r the ultinai. satisfa,-
tion of many an immigrant. even If such
as come provided with "A consiieraiss
supply of cash capital.
DRY. VERY, DRY.
IL is somewhas unfortunate thai unu-
Sually active efforts To promote immi-
grafton are in progress AT present. The
outlook for this wear being a favorable
one for the main industries of California
i not altogether encouraging There
has been a dpplorabic scarcity of rain
sin"e the arrival of the season when
rain might ba expected. The acreage
sown IN grain II very far less than was
anticipated. much land not having vet
been moist enough for the plow. Ii h
not too lat" for downpour that will
help out matters very appreciably. for
th" fields actually .pown have not suf-
Tered seriously, although somewhat
Backward, bit { II rather too late 10 ex-
pcct one of those big crops that would
give occupation Ia all the willing hands
in the state. Hence any addition To the
population that is dependent for its exis-
tence upon lis toll for wages IL 10 be der
recai"d instead of encouraged. So much
has been said about the growth of the
vineyard and orchard industries of Cali
fornia that there might be presumed Ia
exist gooi field for labor in that direc-
ilon: hut IN fact the share Of labor occu-
pied IN those and their correlated limits
~ not very important when compared
with that engaged la the grain fields
and the callings whose prosperity is de-
pendent on the prosperity of the grain
growers.
A comparat .vely dry year" lust now,
Will. II would doubtless bring ruin Ia
the doors oi troops of the more recent ar
rivals ~ well as Ia many of the longer
established. would not lie without its
blessings. IL would 90 far.
for ON" thing. la upset the fudge period
cally indulgcd in 10y newspapers here
abouts to the effect that the climate of
the southern half of California is under
going change toward n rainier charac-
ter. Their" has never been an iota of evi-
ience produced Ia back that proposition,
but II used from time Ia time with appa-
rent success Ia induce people to walk
into th" land-seller's parlor. The ten
irncy of the records is Ia show a change.
II any. ia the opposite direction. but the
records do not run far enough back Ia
offer much valuable information ON the
subject. A. th" matter stands the irregl-
Iarly periodical and mucl-dreaded dry
year IN Just n likely Ia present itself
now ~ ever IL was. n fact Ia which th.
igriculturists Of Central and Southern
California ar" painfully alive AT this
IRRIGATION NECESSARY.
Should this year turn out Ia be one of
severely In iurious drought il would have
he bcneficent effect at hurrying up the
Increase of systems of artificial irri-
CATION which alone can convert farming
N AT least the interior parts Of California
Io a reasonably promising business. lt
would probably inspire a public senti-
ment that would result in some definite
legislation on the sub q 4 Of water rights,
The uncertainty concerning which IL
now th" chief obstacle in the way of the
extension Of irrigating schemes. in adj
iition II n ''dry year should come Ia
knock the underpinning from, beneath
the absurdly stilted prices nj which many
large land owners hold their soil, Il
would b" substantial gain to the State
In the long run, as aHording "A chance
for In" land Ia fail into the hands of peo.
pie who would nse IL for some effective
account other than holding IL for specu-
lation. The California prints have much
Ia say about the expeliency of land
owners offering their belongings for sale
in small parcels. hat that talk is mainly
There is no difficulty, and
don't believe there ever was. In finding
land for sale lin quantities to suit"
largo or small The hindrance
is in the exalted ideas Of the land owners
as to price. Hundreds 10 speak re-
servelly) of persons with means and the
will Ia buy land have been driven out Of
the State during the last year by the ex-
o fthe demands of land own
rrs. and II those demands should be-
given "A black eye by dry year or a
succession of such years. there would be
palpable cause Of congratulation as some
offset Ia the accompanying distress that
many people would undergo.
LEWIS STORSowAY.